Vice President's Eulogy for Former Senator Thurmond
First Baptist Church
Columbia, South Carolina

1:28 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We are here to honor the memory of a man
whose life was rich in years, whose career was filled with
accomplishments; and whose calling was to serve his state and his
country.

There has never been a political career quite like Strom
Thurmond's -- and unless medical science unlocks the secret of
his vitality and energy, there probably won't be a career like his ever
again.

Strom was born in 1902 when the flag had 45 stars and
Theodore Roosevelt was President. He began his career in the
1920s when Calvin Coolidge occupied the White House. He attended
the Democratic National Convention in 1932 and voted for Franklin
Delano Roosevelt; became Governor of South Carolina in 1947, during
the Truman years. He was elected to the United States Senate in
1954 when Dwight Eisenhower held office. And Senator Thurmond
celebrated his 100th birthday last December at a White House party
hosted by President George W. Bush.

In all, America had 18 presidents during Strom's lifetime,
including 10 who held office while he was a senator. And Strom
himself received 39 electoral votes in his own bid for the presidency
against Harry Truman and Tom Dewey in 1948.

Strom spent more than seven decades in the political arena, and
his political history is filled with firsts, from being the first
person ever elected to the Senate on a write-in ballot, to becoming
-- at age 94 -- both the oldest and the longest serving senator in
history.

Strom was a man of deep convictions. And no issue mattered
more greatly to him than the security of our nation. He volunteered
for combat in World War II; flew behind enemy lines in a glider
during the Normandy invasion; and captured German soldiers at
gunpoint. He earned 18 decorations for his military service,
including the Bronze Star for Valor. And he became a major general
in the United States Army Reserves. Strom cared deeply about our
soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. And he acted on that concern
during his decades of service on the Armed Services Committee.
I remember from my time as Secretary of Defense that we could always
count on Senator Thurmond to stand up for a well trained and well
equipped military. And in this time of challenge for our country,
when we have had to call upon the skill and bravery of our people in
uniform, we've seen the quality force that Strom Thurmond helped to
build. All Americans are grateful to our military, and I know that
all branches of the service are grateful to their faithful advocate
from South Carolina.

Strom was devoted to the people of his state, and he did
everything in his power to ensure that they got their fair share of
federal funds -- and maybe just a tad extra. (Laughter.) "We looked
out for our state," he once said, "and everything that was
honorable to get, we got." Not surprisingly, the voters returned
him to office at every opportunity. Yet I am convinced that in all
of those decades of service, Strom never once took his office or his
constituents for granted. He was sincerely grateful for the chance
to serve, and we saw that gratitude every day in Strom's daily work
ethic. It was a life of steady, tireless effort on behalf of South
Carolina and its people.

In Washington, those of us who worked with Strom knew him as
his neighbors knew him, not just as a conscientious public servant, but
also as a human being who was unfailingly courteous to others and had
a kind word for everyone he ever met. We have thought of him so
many times in these months since he left the Senate. And regardless of
party or point of view, we always remember him with fondness and
respect.

Strom Thurmond lived a hundred years. And he managed to pack
an extraordinary amount of living into those years. He was a
senator, a governor, a state legislator, a Democrat, a Republican,
and a third-party presidential candidate. He was a farmer, a teacher,
a circuit judge and a war hero. He was a beloved husband, father and
grandfather. And always, and above all, he was a proud and brave
America patriot.

Strom Thurmond's name will live on in American history, and in
the memory of all who were privileged to know him. We mourn his
passing, but we take comfort in knowing that another chapter has
just begun, and that this chapter will be far longer than the many days
he spent on this Earth.